The Guild
by Imperial Scum
Summary: A young Dark Elf finds herself in unfamiliar Nordic Territory. What is she to do with herself? What would have happened if she had chosen a different path? Find out in this story. There is more to come!
1. Chapter 1

**THE GUILD**

When I joined the Thieves Guild, it was a dark time for me. I was down to my bottom Septim. The streets were dark and the wind was cold. The docks of Riften creaked under my every weary step. A silence ensued as I crept up to the Temple of Mara. I was about to do something I never had wanted to do. I think back on this moment a lot these days, wondering what would have happened to me had I not craftily shuffled the pins around in the temple's lock. What would have happened had I walked away, and let the Nine Divines guide me in a more positive direction? I might never find out.

The ornate carvings of the goddess Mara in the wooden doors seemed to glare at me in disapproval as the doors to the temple spun open. I hastily shuffled inside and dampened the slam of the door as it closed. Darkness provided me the cover I needed from unknown dangers, and my crudely constructed hide boots padded silently along the ancient wooden floors. "_A few steps this way… Then crouch. Next move that way… Shoot! Don't step on the donation bowls…" _I thought to myself. It felt like a long way to the valuable stone statue that I was going to… "_Oh… let's not put it that way…" _I argued to myself. I sure didn't want to classify my activity at that moment as trespassing and certainly not as stealing.

The end was near. I could feel the statue radiating power and love as I padded closer in the most perfect form of a "stealth crouch." My ashen hands rose in an anticipatory grasp until a voice startled me.

"Oh! What _perfect_ form you have, for a Dunmer at that!" the voice exclaimed with giddiness. I had the worst feeling that we were going to get discovered. I must have cringed, because the mystery voice noticed and silently removed themselves from the shadows. This man was an Imperial by his short and slim stature, although his face was completely shrouded by a jet black hood and his body had the clothes to match. The designs traced into the enchanted leather seemed to be pulling me towards them with a dangerous force.

"Oh yes… You must be _so_ oblivious to the world around you. That being said, you do look like quite the prospect for my… um… organization."

My eyes widened at this gentleman's words. _"I must be oblivious…"_ I had thought at his derogatory comments. We were going to wake up the priest and priestesses!

"Don't fret, my little pet," he cooed, "Nocturnal has those religious folk in her grasp… For now. But we _must_ hurry, dear. There is little time."

"I need some explaining… Before I am to go with the likes of you!" I explained with what I thought was defiance. The man just chuckled.

"Oh goodness! Your little elf ears quiver when you are agitated! What a piece of work _you _are! Ha ha! Oh my… Ooh!"

I hated being a Dark Elf. _"Dunmer! You are not wanted here!" "Dunmer! Get lost!" "Stay out of trouble, Dark Elf,"_ were all commonly used by the guards who had no respect to the legacy of my race. Dunmer. Dark Elf. No other race had to suffer the entire name calling! I was no fan of anyone that called me that.

"No. Mysterious man, I refuse to leave with you. You have little respect for my abilities. I have little respect for you. So we shall be done," I cried with a sudden spurt of confidence. I swiped the statue and began to sprint down the halls of the temple.

"Hey! That's why I was here too!" the man shouted as he drew an ornate bow resembling that of his cuirass and hood and shot a lovely black arrow that struck the center of my chest. My grip began to loosen and the rows of pews slowly merged into a sheet of pure black. I fought to stay awake, I really did. I even caught a few words the man said. But who was he talking to?

"I think you'll like her," he muttered.


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke with a jolt. I was on a cold stone floor under a skylight. _Why was I underground? The temple had wood floors… What? Where am I? Who's talking?_ My head whirled as my vision slowly cleared.

"Mercer! Trust me… I _am_ the leader here, anyway."

I recognized that voice… Was he the guy…? No… No! He was at the Temple of Mara with me. Did he… I sat up in a spasm-like manner to address the man.

"Gallus…" another man continued.

They stopped their conversation when I turned to look at them with narrowed eyes. My slurred speech was able to form something comparable to a sentence.

"I… I've seen… You kidnapped me…"

I eyed the Imperial with suspicion. His little Breton friend by the name of Mercer Frey claimed that I was as most Dunmer are – retarded. I would have argued had my lips agreed to move, and they didn't. Gallus did the talking.

"Nocturnal's bidding isn't finished yet. The effects could last for days, Mercer," Gallus stated matter-of-factly.

"She's still a _Dunmer, _Gallus! I thought you would understand," Mercer whined.

"I might have agreed with you had she not changed my mind… She's as clever as an ancient Dwemer!" cried Gallus. Mercer sighed.

"I guess I'm not going to be able to change your mind then," sighed Mercer as he turned his back on Gallus to return to the business legers to do as much number crunching as a thieving organization can really do.

The remaining man, Gallus, helped me up and over to an inviting bed roll and settled me in. I kind of wished I could see this guy's face…

He offered me some sort of sleeping concoction and as much as I would have liked to say no to the narcotics for a while, sleep was the only thing I wanted to do, so I reluctantly accepted.

"What is your name, dear?" Gallus inquired as he waited for the potion to work its way into my systems.

I barely managed a halfhearted "Karliah" before I drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

I did not wake until well after sunrise. A set of leather armor with all sorts of leather buckles and braces was laid next to my bed roll and had a strange aura around it. I assumed it was enchanted. There was no one in the stone chamber, so I changed quickly and tentatively tapped open a door labeled "_The Ragged Flagon_." There was a wealth of people in the same armor I was wearing goofing around the bar and feasting on salmon steak or horker loaf. There was more food in one place than what I had eaten my whole entire life – combined! I attempted to stealthily grab a salmon steak and some Argonian Ale, but failed. Gallus saw me and clinked his mug full of ale down on the wooden table to get everyone's attention.

"Attention! Attention! We have a fine lass here with us today. Her skills surpass most of yours, and she hasn't even been trained. Yes, she is a Dark Elf. Don't let her gray skin or pointed ears fool you. I officially give her entitlement to have a part in the Thieves Guild!" Gallus cried with pride and confidence.

A few of the ladies, whose names I later learned to be Vex, Sapphire, and Tonilla, glared in my direction with unconcealed jealousy. Everyone else kind of stared blankly into space. "_What a warm welcome…_" I silently thought. I graciously smiled to Gallus, simply out of politeness rather than appreciation. After my crude initiation ceremony, I stuffed myself with an innumerable amount of salmon steaks, grilled leeks, and sweet rolls. My stealth skills failed me yet again as I tried to escape to the training room for much-needed stealth and agility practice. Gallus caught me again.

"Karliah… Right?" he inquired.

"Yes… I need to work on my stealth, I guess," I mumbled.

"You would be correct," Gallus sighed before continuing, "However, we have more… _pressing_ matters."

"Ah…" I hesitated.

"Okay, okay. You might want to first ensure that I'm not a crazy kidnapper," Gallus chuckled as he removed his hood. I could finally see his face. He was young, probably only eighteen Nord years or so. Yes, so I was forty years older than him. But our races age differently! His dark brown hair was straight and shoulder length with assorted braids running down the sides to tie it back. Delicate features not fit for a thief filled his round, pale face with perfect proportion. Dark Elves fall in love very fast. I was no exception.

"Alright!" I agreed, with far too much eagerness in my voice. I continued, embarrassed, "Uh… But can you show me around first?"

Gallus laughed a big, appreciative laugh.

"I'm sure that could be arranged," Gallus replied with a slight chuckle. He extended his arm so I could walk with him. If Dark Elves could blush, I would've blushed. I was slightly distracted by Gallus himself the whole time, so I didn't learn much. But, I was all in it for the experience.

After mindlessly walking around my new home, I was led into a room with burlap targets and racks with wooden swords, bows, and dulled arrows. Several chests with complicated locks and buckets of lockpicks lined the stone walls.

"Now, you may train. However, I am required to watch new recruits in their first training session to assess how they could assist this organization in their endeavors," explained Gallus.

"Alright…" I weakly replied, embarrassed by being so closely watched.

"Oh… I forgot to mention that the newest members are responsible for flower collecting…" Gallus stated.

"Seriously? Why?" I inquired.

"Well… Umm… This is a complex sewer system that we live in… And sewers don't exactly have pleasant scents associated with them…" Gallus trailed off.

_What? I was in a sewer?_ The confusion eventually wore off and I rolled my eyes as I turned away from Gallus. I decided to first start with lockpicking because I already had discovered that underlying skill.

"Start with the wooden chest," Gallus suggested.

I didn't really want to submit to him, so I chose a really shiny golden one with images of Dwemer history carved into every side. The curved surface at on the top held a small keyhole just large enough for my lock holder and lockpick. A careful pull in each direction yielded in knowledge of this lock's natural direction. _A few tugs there… Now push that pin just a little… Wiggle the holder out… Twist here… Spiral there…_

"Wow!" exclaimed Gallus.

I looked up and glared at him. He was interrupting my zone!

"Stop glaring at me! You already unlocked the chest. Dwemer chests have six pins, not eight. You're already done, so open it up and claim your prize!" Gallus cried.

"Oh…" I sighed in utter embarrassment.

"That's okay. You are amazing at lockpicking nonetheless. How about you try something else… You obviously need no more training with the lockpicks," Gallus suggested.

I immediately turned to the archery targets and picked up a well-worn Imperial bow. The target had dozens of iron arrows hastily shoved through the beat-up burlap cover. I placed them in a quiver on my back and caulked the bow. My first shot hit the bull's-eye. So did the second. And the third. Gallus just stood there gaping.

"We really need to go. It's pretty urgent. Grab any weapons you see here that you want to take. Oh my goodness… Where is Mercer…?" Gallus cried in a sudden panic.

Then it was my turn to gape. I slowly grabbed an enchanted iron dagger along with the Imperial bow and quiver of arrows I had been using. Then I ran out of the training room over to Gallus and Mercer.

"Just trust me on this, Mercer. Let's go!" Gallus exclaimed.

Mercer rolled his eyes in reluctance before he ripped his sword out of a weapon rack behind him.

"I still think you're insane, Gallus, but I'm willing to give your insanity its craziness fix," Mercer snickered.


	4. Chapter 4

Gallus, Mercer, and I climbed up a rickety ladder in one of the many alcoves contained inside the Guild's hideout. We resurfaced in a small shrine marked with a shelter shadowmark, according to Gallus. Gallus led us on a stone path back to the Riften docks, where we proceeded to parade off towards the city gates. After a halfhearted explanation of our motives for leaving the city, Mercer slipped some Septims into the guard's gloved hands and whispered something about keeping quiet.

I was slightly confused as Gallus confidently led us through untamed woods and raging rivers. My filthy, damp clothes sent shivers down my spine. The childish side of me muttered an "Are we there yet?" but the only response I got was a few grunts of frustration.

After many miserable hours of trekking through the cold, unfamiliar land of Skyrim with people I had met yesterday, we came across a hole in the side of a cliff. Gallus appeared to be overcome with excitement. I, on the other hand, was much more interested at the prospect of a warm fire and fresh cuts of meat.

"This… is it. I've been waiting for this my whole life!" Gallus cried with pure exuberance. Mercer and I gave each other a concerned glance before Gallus continued to mutter under his breath, "I hope it works…"

"Why wouldn't… whatever you're looking for… work?" I inquired. Mercer eyed Gallus suspiciously.

"Well…" Gallus fidgeted in embarrassment as he continued, "I'm kind of testing out a myth." Mercer sighed in exasperation and rolled his eyes.

"That's the last straw. I'm out. You can fiddle around with children's tales for as long as you want. I will be making myself at home down in the Ratway," Mercer yelled in exasperation.

"I have a lot of connections, Mercer. Astrid, Kodlak… do I need to say more?" Gallus calmly inquired. Not being very caught up on current events in Skyrim, I had no idea who or what these things or people were. However, I didn't need to know that to be able to admire Gallus's quick and effective retorts. Mercer's face gained a look of pure horror and he turned back to face Gallus. With a nervous gulp, he headed towards the gap in the cliff. Gallus nodded in appreciation, then beckoned for me to follow them into the cliff.


	5. Chapter 5

My characteristically red Dunmer eyes did nothing to assist with vision in the dark cave. I continuously bumped into cool walls and stumbled on cracks in the ground. Everyone was hopelessly lost until a small purple spark appeared. The spark grew and grew into a large orb pulsing with dark powers.

A voice suddenly rushed through my head. It… was coming from inside my head. I could see Mercer and Gallus stricken with confusion from the same phenomenon.

"Oh! You came!" exclaimed the voice with poorly hidden excitement. Gallus accidentally let a squeal of anticipation escape his lips.

"Oh, my Gallus! My lovely Gallus! You've done so _well_ my friend!" chuckled the voice.

"I tried, Nocturnal. I said you'd love her!" Gallus stated proudly.

"Yes, she is my favorite. She has… quite the history, that one," the voice said. Suddenly, the purple orb of light produced an image of a very beautiful woman. Perfect pale skin seamlessly contoured her face as dark wavy hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her cloak was long and black with intricate etchings lacing around the neckline all the way to her draping sleeves. Floating in the middle of a seemingly dangerous orb was effortless for this woman. Nocturnal. Nocturnal… the daedric prince! I was associating with a daedric prince. She was getting into my head… She was going to claim my soul… She could read my thoughts… She could crush me with a single thought!

Nocturnal must have sensed my insecurity, for she turned to face me.

"Oh, you're so naïve… My darling, for I am not here to hurt you…" Nocturnal cooed. She then continued, "Why, you are here to protect me!" Nocturnal chuckled. I was horrified. How could Gallus do this to me! He condemned me to eternal enslavement. What was I ever going to do? Mercer obviously felt the same way by the looks of his disgusted face.

"No… It really isn't what it seems," Gallus screamed as I turned to run. I hit an invisible wall at full force in an attempt to escape.

"Karliah. If you want me to tell them where you're from…" Nocturnal threatened.


	6. Chapter 6

"No!" I screamed in agony. Mercer dragged me back to Nocturnal so she could finish her communications.

"That's what I thought..." Nocturnal hummed matter-of-factly. She continued, saying, "You won't be my slaves forever, because when you return to my plane of oblivion you won't be slaves there. Plus, my plane of oblivion isn't as unbearable as, say, Molag Bal's." I grunted in disappointment, as did Mercer.

"But, wait! There's more!" cried Gallus, sounding like an overexcited street vendor.

"Oh yes! There's always more with Nocturnal! I can influence your luck. Maybe that one pin that won't budge will. Maybe your pickpocket target will stay asleep for one minute more. Maybe the heist targets will remain at their other residence, just so you can succeed!" Nocturnal preached.

"That's pretty appealing..." Mercer admitted.

"I agree!" I chanted.

"Then it's settled then. You protect the Twilight Sepulcher with your lives, and I will give you a little... Luck. Go get your armor and divide the powers amongst yourselves. I'll be watching..." Nocturnal said as her image and voice slowly faded.

Gallus motioned for us to follow him to a stone room with buckets of unprotected Nightengale armor.

"We'll have to fix that little security issue..." Gallus muttered as Mercer and I grabbed our sizes and put them on. This was the same black hood and cuirass that Gallus was wearing when I met him.

"Does this look like it fits?" I inquired, turning to face Gallus. He just stood there speechless.

"Mercer... Look... At..." Gallus whispered shakily. Mercer turned and gasped.

"Karliah..." Mercer trailed off.

"Your eyes aren't red anymore... They're purple." Gallus breathed.


	7. Chapter 7

I gasped in surprise.

"What?" I inquired.

"I'm not kidding… Your irises… Turned purple…" Gallus stuttered. Mercer nodded slowly in nervous agreement. I began to freak out. I ran in circles and screamed. I cursed Nocturnal. What had gone wrong? What had Nocturnal done to me?

"Nocturnal!" I screamed. Nocturnal failed to respond. I began to curl up into a ball and weep. The confusion… The pain… It was all too much. My whole world had fallen apart.

"Can you… Uh… Do that thing where they pass out?" Mercer whispered.

"Yup!" Gallus replied with a false hint of cheeriness. He drew his bow and rubbed a fowl smelling potion on the tip of his arrow.

"Stop! That won't be necessary!" I cried, pulling myself together. Gallus sheathed his bow quickly and ran over to me. He bent down to help me up. I fell limp again as his gaze was scrutinizing my eyes.

"Pull it together," Gallus barked with annoyance. I took a last shaky breath before allowing Gallus to heave my tired body off the floor. Gallus brushed a wisp of hair out of my face. Then he swept me up in his arms and began to carry me out of that cave.

"You know what, Karliah?" Gallus whispered.

"What…" I replied groggily.

"I think those eyes are beautiful."


	8. Chapter 8

Gallus managed to carry me all the way back to the Thieves' Guild graveyard entrance.

"You're on your own now," Gallus grumbled with the effort it took to gently put me on my feet. I stumbled around before regaining my balance and pressing the button to open the floor. The open floor revealed a wooden hatch that led to the main room of the sewer. Gallus and Mercer beckoned for me to descend first. I turned around as I gingerly tested each creaky rung of the ladder before going any further.

"I'm done!" I shouted up the ladder.

"Okay," Mercer's gruff voice replied.

Mercer quickly ran down the ladder, skipping steps and twirling giddily despite the horrible creaking sounds the ladder was responding with. Gallus then followed with the same fancy tricks and skips that Mercer had performed just seconds earlier. I rolled my eyes at them.

"Welcome to the Thieves Guild, Karliah," Mercer chuckled with playfulness. Gallus laughed appreciatively, then beckoned for me to follow him to a rickety old bed with a straw mattress infested with vermin.

"This is yours," Gallus said with a depressed grumble. He continued, "It was the only one left. I hope you understand…" He trailed off. I was already jumping up the ladder to construct something better to sleep on.

"Wait! Karliah!" Gallus called. His voice sounded muffled and far away once I was outside of the sewers. In front of the Talos statue near the Guild's secret entrance there were innumerable blades of grass waiting to be shoved into a new mattress filling. They waved in the breeze gently in a shade of brilliant green despite the browning leaves on Riften's autumn trees. I almost felt bad sawing them away with my dagger and shoving them into my knapsack. After I smelt like the Empire's finest gardener and was filled to the brim with blades of fragrant grass, I stepped onto the docks of Riften in hopes of earning some "free" sheets.

After about an hour of aimlessly wandering throughout the residential docks of Riften, I decided upon my target. I was going to rob Honorhall Orphanage. Okay, maybe I should have had more of a moral dilemma than I did at that moment. But, I felt no remorse as I tapped open the unlocked door in broad daylight.

I heard a gaggle of roistering children running amok as I stepped into their dining hall. After craning my neck to see the sleeping quarters, I was pleased to see racks upon racks of children's clothing. "Perfect!" I thought. I turned into the room containing the whirlwind of children and saw an old hag ordering them around and spanking them when they talked back or whined.

"But Cylandra!"

"Come on! We never get to go outside!"

"I used to think Wood Elves were nice!"

"Yeah, Cylandra! You're a Wood Elf!"

"Ugh! I hate you!" Cried the rambunctious children.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe!" The startled caretaker cried.

I bent down next to one of the children and kindly cooed, "Hello, dearie! Is Mistress Cylandra mistreating you?"

"Yes!" They whispered with no hesitation. I hesitated before asking my next question.

"Um… How would you feel if she was gone… Forever?" I questioned tentatively.

"Oh! That would be great. We were going to perform the Black Sacrament tonight!" The kid squealed in excitement.

"Shhh!" I whispered urgently. "First of all, it's probably not a good idea to perform the black sacrament. Second of all, don't tell anybody what I'm about to do. Third, I'll be back to save you soon," I muttered.

Then, I sprung up and swiftly placed a deadly poison in her pocket. She fell to the floor silently, and I hid her behind the cupboard.

"The deed has been done," I announced to the kids. They cheered with giddiness and thanked me profusely. "Quiet down!" I continued, "But in return, I have a simple request. Can I borrow some of your extra clothes?" I waited for my motives to be questioned, but the kids instead handed over a heap of tattered clothes. Now I could fix my sheets and quilt. I turned to leave before I remembered.

"Who's gonna take care of you now?" I inquired. A girl who looked to be sixteen Nord years or so stepped forward.

"I already take care of them when Cylandra is… Or was… Too busy. So I'll do it now," she muttered.

"You're so sweet. What's your name?"

"Grelod."

"Well we should call you Grelod the Kind!" I said with a chuckle.

"Come back to see us!" The kids chorussed.

I never came back to see them.


	9. Chapter 9

Ch 9

After the Honorhall incident, I did feel a little bit of remorse. I had just murdered an innocent old wood elf for some tattered clothes! Thinking about my previous actions sent a few nervous shudders down my spine, so I just pushed those thoughts out of the way. My momma always told me to never look back on mistakes, because you could trip on the next thing ahead of you. I guess she never really looked back on me. Standing there in the Honorhall yard, I was hit by a rush of old memories.

My mother's name was Dralsi. I never forgot her soothing low voice, or her slow-blinking red eyes and tangled graying locks. She was tall and lanky, with long arms and tiny little feet that never fit into the kind of nice boots that craftsmen make in their little smithing stores. I remember her always being gone for weeks on end, saying that she was working very hard on assorted "projects." After a few weeks of being away on a project, she would always hug me with tears in her wide eyes and tell me that she loved me.

"I love you, Karliah. You are my greatest yield in the sea of life; the juiciest fruit in the great land of Morrowind. I wish you had a father to share this life with. It's just… that in my line of work… You never know where anyone comes from," she would coo before falling apart into a heap of tears.

"It's ok, Momma. I don't need a papa anyway. You always said that they were more trouble than they were worth," I would reply. This normally just made her cry harder.

But one day after the typical post-project weeping session, she looked me dead in the eyes and slowly took a shaky inhale. The mud she used to line her eyes was dripping down her face and the bright red lip pigment she wore for "special" projects was smudged. After taking a minute to regulate her breathing she began.

"You are so young. I do not expect you to understand, but I thought I might try to stop hiding everything from you," she whispered. "You, Karliah, are special. You and I come from a very special family. And I can't have the family we come from find us," she continued, her eyes beginning to overflow with tears. She looked hesitant to speak the next sentence. After a grand pause, she said these words, barely audibly. "My momma was the empress of Morrowind. She made some very bad choices that no one can ever find out about. One of those choices led to my birth." I gasped. My whole existence became much more convoluted after that second of my life. Could I really be royal? My mother continued, "My father was not the same person as my momma's husband. An empress is not supposed to act like that, so she had to cover it up. She sent me off quickly to my real papa so he could raise me. He tried to raise me well. He tried to educate me in the arithmetic theorems and literatures and gourmets. But he simply couldn't. He was a starving bard with a child he didn't really want. So he went out doing illegal favors for money, calling himself 'The Nightengale.' That's all I ever knew, and that's all I can do for you." My mother then lost all control and burst into earth-shattering sobs. "I'm sorry!" she cried.

"Hey! Hey! You alright, Miss?"

I snapped out of my reminiscent daze to see a guard clapping in front of my face.

"Oh, dear. So sorry. I was caught up in a memory," I quickly apologized.

"Oh, no! It is no problem! I can't help but do the same with _this_ job…"

"I can imagine!" I replied.

"I suppose the Guild keeps me on my toes. New in town, Miss…"

"Karliah."

"Ah yes, Miss Karliah. I'd advise that you stay away from those filthy thieves. I'm pretty sure they just stole the statue of Mara from the city's temple!" the guard gasped.

"Wow! That's horrible!" I exclaimed quickly.

The guard ran his eyes over me as if that alone would let him know if I was telling the truth. His gaze stopped at the handful of children's clothes I was carrying.

"What's that you got there?" he inquired. I could almost smell his accusatory tone.

"Those poor kids' laundry! You know their mistress was murdered?" I replied without skipping a beat.

"A murder, you say! I must get over there to investigate it!" The guard did a neat spin on his heels and sprinted down the docks towards the orphanage.

I heaved a sigh of relief and quickly made my way to the poorly manicured statue garden that surrounded the Guild's secret entrance. I leaned against a smooth slab of stone as I gingerly threaded the kids' clothes together, stuffing the grass clippings in the mattress as I went along. The two moons were already high in the sky and the first stars were already out by the time I had attached the last two threads of my pillow. The air was cool and a breeze blew fragrant aromas of the late summer flowers in my direction. After sufficiently admiring my handiwork on my bedroom set, I picked a few flowers to distribute around the sewer I now called home.

On my way down the rickety ladder, I tried to do a little jump like Mercer and Gallus had done earlier. Yes, it was toned down by about a million times, but I enjoyed the thrill of it just as much as they did.


End file.
